• People’s Artist of Russia • People’s Artist of Tatarstan • Recipient of the State Prize of Russia • Prize-winner at the I International Fyodor Chaliapin Vocalists’ Competition (2nd prize, 1989) • Prize-winner at the International Vocalists’ Competition in Sofia (1988)

Nikolai Putilin was born in the Saratov Region. He graduated from the Krasnoyarsk Institute of Arts in 1983 (class of Professor Ioffel). Soloist with the Syktyvkar Musical Theatre (Komi Republic) from 1983–1985. Soloist with the Musa Dzhalil Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet (Kazan) from 1985–1992. Mariinsky Theatre soloist since 1992.

Nikolai Putilin has toured with the Mariinsky Opera Company and independently to Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Great Britain, Japan, the USA, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Korea, Israel and Luxemburg. He has performed at renowned opera houses such as the Metropolitan Opera and the Chicago Lyric Opera (USA), the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (Great Britain), La Scala (Italy) and the Accademia Santa Cecilia in Rome as well as appearing at the Salzburg Festival.